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Trees to heaven

This is another page from my ninth book called "Dear God". I was inspired to write this book after writing "I am voting for God" on my blog. It continues in that format. Short letters (or prayers) to God. It gives me an opportunity to write more and write to God at different moments in my life.
___________________

Dear God,

It is 1227am. I have been thinking. What is a higher love? Like the song from Whitney Houston and Kygo. It suggests that there are levels to love or that we love some things more than others. Let me ask my friend Gemini. He says that "higher love" is like a really strong, unselfish care for others or something bigger than just yourself, without expecting anything back. It's about a deep connection and wanting good for everyone. To me this is the kinda love that is lacking in the world today. This is the kind of love we get through God. I read that higher love is when the love of God, self and others are indistinguishable. One love comes to mind.

I can think of several questions on the topic. Is higher love rare and do we have to climb a mountain to get it? Is higher love costly? Does higher love require wisdom? Are we born with a higher love? Do animals like dogs show us what higher love is about? What does God say about higher love? Why is higher love not the common choice? My friend Gemini thinks that higher love isn't the common choice because our self-focused instincts and societal pressures often overshadow the effort and inner growth it demands. What we need to do is start planting seeds of higher love today that will eventually be found everywhere. We have to make a conscious effort to work towards this ideal.

I would like to call these, the trees to heaven. Interestingly enough I came across a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche, "The tree that must grow to heaven must send its roots to hell." That certainly puts a twist to my exploration of higher love. It suggests that growth towards something truly elevated might require confronting and understanding the darker, more challenging aspects of ourselves and the world. Perhaps embracing our vulnerabilities and acknowledging the struggles can be a necessary foundation for cultivating a deeper and more authentic love. It seems like we have to get low to get high and that we have to confront the ugly truths. Nothing valuable comes easy I suppose. God, give us the strength, courage and wisdom to confront the things from which our higher love will rise above. If we squash the word hell we get hl (higher love).

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